How Do I Know?

[gil1]

How old this spike is? Is it a good yearling? Is it an underdeveloped 1.5 year old? Or is a spike not necessarily unusual as a 1.5 year old? I'm getting a lot of spikes on trail cam, and I'm wondering if I've got a nutrition problem or if that's normal. Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Probably a 1.5 y.o. the nose is way too long to be a yearling. Let him grow. It is not uncommon for deer of this age to be spikes. I have seen spikes grow 8 pnt racks in their second year.

 

[Homebrewer]

Put him in the freezer!!! I would want something better doing the breeding on my place.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Many studies have shown that spikes can develop into dandy bucks later in their life. Your pic is of a 1 1/2 yr old spike, it does absolutely no good to "cull" him from the herd. Pretty typical to see 1.5 yr old spikes.

 

[gil1]

Yes, I totally understand that there is no such thing as culling, but I was just wondering if it was of no concern to have a lot of 1 1/2 yr. old spikes. I really think the food situation is fine. I think maybe the back to back droughts, last year's lack of food, and EHD may have had an effect. I'm expecting antler growth to be less this year than last because of last year's problems. Thanks for the info.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

gil1, we have seen alot more 1 1/2 year old spikes as well as scraggly lookin 3, 4, and 5 pointers than we normally do. On the upside, we are also seeing alot more nice 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds or older. I think this year will be a good year in my area in Hickman County. (I think I remember you saying that you hunted Hickman as well). We see many spikes every year on cameras during the summer, but by the time hunting season comes around, we see a very small fraction of them while hunting. As some of them are shot and some of the others are chased off by their "mothers". I wouldnt really worry about anything.

 

[Bucket]

BTW, I think yearling and 1.5 y.o. are synonymous. Fawn<yearling<2.5 etc..

 

[BSK]

Probably a 1.5 y.o. the nose is way too long to be a yearling.

A yearling is a 1 1/2 year-old deer. A 1/2 year-old deer is a fawn.

 

[BSK]

gil1,

One of the things I try to get across to managers is not to worry about a single year's data. On smaller properties, specific factors can vary greatly from year to year (sex ratio, percent of yearling bucks that are spikes, antler growth per age-class, body weights per age-class, etc.). Look at the trends over several years instead of a single year's data.

I really wouldn't worry about some spike yearling bucks. Not only is that normal, in areas with later breeding most if not all yearlings are spikes.

Now if you have a November rut and year after year 70+% of yearlings are spikes, THEN I would consider nutrition to be a potential problem.

 

[BSK]

Put him in the freezer!!! I would want something better doing the breeding on my place.

He is not a spike because of genetics. He is a spike because of his age. He will not remain a spike forever.

He may have world-record genetics but simply doesn't have the age to express those genetics.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I agree BSK. We see a good portion of spikes during the summer and first part of the season. BUT when the rut comes along, they virtually vanish and the majority of the bucks we see are at least a year or so older. That boosts my confidence in my place a little bit more because I have been seeing that trend.

 

[156p&y]

In my understanding bucks will nurture their bodies before their racks. I think you could also contribute a spike's development to his mother struggling to produce either the amount or quality milk he needs as a fawn and once he is wiened he's got more to catch up on. If you look at last summer this could easily be the cause with the drought going on during some of the most crucial body building months of that deer's life. I'm no biologist but I have a good general overall understanding of how some of this works and that is my best guess to explain the abundance of small 1.5 year olds. We too on our farm are also seeing some pitiful spikes, and we haven't really had hardly any spikes in years.

 

[farmin68]

Put him in the freezer!!! I would want something better doing the breeding on my place.

He is not a spike because of genetics. He is a spike because of his age. He will not remain a spike forever.

He may have world-record genetics but simply doesn't have the age to express those genetics.

I'm trying to understand what you're saying here. My question is will he really lose those spikes and grow new antlers next year?

 

[BSK]

HA farmin68!!!

 

[BigGameGuy]

Gil-

If I remember correctly you do most of your hunting in Hickman county so I am assuming these pics came from there. According to our data in Hickman, 37% of yearling bucks are spikes, so I wouldn't worry too much about what you are seeing. Seems to me it's completely normal.

 

[gil1]

Yes, Hickman Co. 37% is a lot higher than I would have imagined.
Thanks for the feedback fellas.

 

[ROB]

Gil,

Having an abundance of small spike bucks can be a sign of great habitat. Keep in mind that, when habitat is really good, a larger percentage of doe fawns come into estrus & conceive in Jan or Feb. Their fawns are born 2 or 3 months later than the majority of fawns and are therefore less mature, and carry smaller antlers, as yearlings.

Now, if you have lots of mature spike bucks, that would be very different.

 

[BSK]

Although most of my resident yearlings are sporting 4 to 6 point racks, I have one spike buck--probably late-born--that has one spike about 2 inches long and the other might not be an inch long. Since it's not a trend, I won't worry about it (although I expect to see a bunch of late-born, under-sized yearling bucks next year due to the very late rut in western Middle TN last year).

I bet that sub-legal spike on my place accidentally gets killed as a doe this year.

 

[Boone 58]

Well, in order for a deer to get to 4.5 years of age you have to quit shooting them at 1.5,2.5 and yes even at 3.5......Just as a child cant produce 16 inch biceps 1.5 year old deer will just NOT have the complete package of points, width and mass until they have some maturity on them. the young buck proliferation is a good indication of survival and birth rates......which is a good thing.

 

[Boone 58]

Plus.....young bucks like young deer of all kinds are more likely to be up and moving and older more mature deer, esp bucks just are more reclusive and less on the move in daylight hours.